Episode Two: Part Two
A few hours later, Ariel was seated at a long conference table in a briefing room. General Hammond had called a meeting to discuss what had happened and how to proceed. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, neither the general nor Dr. Jackson could remember what had happened in the office and later. Her secret was still intact, but now she was the only one that remembered Midas Endymion’s warning. (And she was the only one, besides Sirocco, that remembered her getting her butt handed to her by Midas Endymion. Her pride and her mystic self still ached over that one.) After sending Jackson and Hammond back to reality, the ancient king had told her that a menace named Dark Star was a growing threat to the Earth. He had laid the duty of dealing with this particular enemy on her shoulders. Just the thought of that kind of burden was enough to make her want to curl up and cry. She couldn’t do that, so she settled for sitting perfectly straight, her head bowed, and her hands clinched painfully tight under the cover of the tabletop. All around her, words flowed, but she paid them scant mind. Sirocco, hidden once again in her hair, was listening and would tell her what she needed to know later.
“I think we need to take this Dark Star warning seriously,” Dr. Jackson was saying. “It’s still not very clear, but I know it involved some danger to the Earth and that the quartz crystal had been sent to find someone to deal with it.”
O’Neill leaned back in his chair. “Daniel, this warning came from a rock.”
“The rock did melt a hole all the way through General Hammond’s desk, sir,” Major Samantha Carter said. “I think we can safely say that it’s no ordinary rock.”
O’Neill threw up a hand. “Alright, it’s a special rock. But why are you the only one that remembers anything about a warning?”
“I don’t know, Jack. But I can’t shake this feeling that what ever happened is very important.” Daniel looked to General Hammond.
The general shook his head bemusedly. “I don’t know what we saw or heard or even if we all experienced the same thing. I personally do not remember anything after Miss MacWayne stepped into my office. Miss MacWayne?”
Ariel jerked as if stuck by a hat pin. She blushed furiously under the faintly amused scrutiny of the rest of the room. “Um, yes. All I remember is a bright light.” She displayed her bandaged right palm, noting absently that the burn ointment that Dr. Frasier had plastered on the wound had almost all been squished out from under the gauze due the pressure of her clinched fist. “And heat. A great deal of heat.”
“That is another troubling happenstance,” Teal’c said, turning his dark gaze fully on Ariel’s face. “Why did the rock only react to Miss MacWayne? It had been handled by many persons before you.”
“That’s a good point, Teal’c,” O’Neill said. He eyed the young woman suspiciously.
Ariel’s embarrassment turned instantly to anger. Copper eyebrows lowered over spring-leaf green eyes. “Are you implying something, Colonel O’Neill, darlin’?” Ariel’s Southern accent thickened to the consistency of sorghum. “Might I remind you that you all invited me to this place? On false pretenses none-the-less? It’s hardly my fault your little ol’ rock took a likin’ to me.”
“No one is accusing you of anything, Miss MacWayne,” Carter interjected as soothingly as she could. Ariel flicked her a fiery glance and sat slowly back in her chair. “I think Daniel is right. We need to check further into this Dark Star, whatever it is.”
“I agree,” General Hammond said. “We cannot afford to just ignore this. Colonel, I want you to lead a mission to P3X-421. Which team originally found the rock?”
“SG-16, sir,” Carter answered, “But only two members of the team are currently on base: Lt. Wisk and Sgt. Abernathy.”
“Inform them of the mission. They should be able to speed your search.” The two officers nodded. The general then turned his attention to Ariel. “Miss MacWayne, I would like you to accompany SG-1. For whatever reason, you seem to be the triggering factor for this phenomenon. Your input or simply your presence could be vital to this mission.”
Ariel hesitated until she felt Sirocco’s claws sinking into her scalp. “Alright, General Hammond. I’ll go.”
“Major Carter, you will see that Miss MacWayne is properly outfitted. You will be leaving tomorrow at 0700.”
Carter stood. “Yes, sir. Miss MacWayne?”
Ariel followed the major out into the corridor. “Out of curiosity, where are we going?”
“P3X-421 is a M-type planet with minimal axial tilt…”
“Whoa, hold on, back up!” Ariel interrupted, grabbing Carter’s arm and swinging her around to peer into her face. “You don’t mean a whole ‘nother planet? As in not this planet?”
Carter smiled sympathetically. “This is might take a while. Why don’t we talk while we’re getting you outfitted?”
“What have I got myself into now?” Ariel muttered as she obediently followed Major Carter.
*****
The next
morning found Ariel standing in a concrete bunker deep within
As she was patting the snapped flap of her side arm, Sgt. Abernathy stepped over to her. “Uncomfortable with guns, Miss MacWayne?” he asked. His tone was heavy with some emotion, but Ariel wasn’t sure what it was, other than unpleasant.
“Not particularly, sergeant. I admit that I’m more used to a .22 rifle, but I think I can handle a handgun.” She had to stifle an urge to draw the 9mm. Surely Abernathy wouldn’t try anything here. “I’m happy to leave the heavy artillery to you professionals,” she added nodding at the M16 slung under his arm.
“You do that, ma’am. But don’t worry I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.” Abernathy gave her look with great significance but little meaning before turning away.
“And I’ll be keeping an eye on him,” Sirocco whispered in her ear. Ariel nodded faintly.
“Alright,” Colonel O’Neill proclaimed, “let’s get this show on the road.”
“Dialing now,” said a voice from the control room. Ariel watched with fascination as the inner part of the great ring began spinning. From the vibrating tension in Sirocco’s hidden body, he, too, could feel the power pouring off the alien device. They both jumped when blue and white coherent light sprang forth from the heart of the Stargate, seemingly reaching for the frail humans at the base of the ramp before collapsing back inward to form the shimmering, pond-like event horizon of the wormhole.
“Impressive isn’t it?” Daniel asked. Ariel simply nodded, her wide eyes still focused on the Gate.
Colonel O’Neill adjusted his sunglasses. “Let’s go,” he said as he led the way into portal. Ariel took a deep breath and followed the others into her next great journey.